Tunku Khadijah had passed away on August 15, 2022. In her last interview with Tatler Malaysia in May 2022, the eldest daughter of Malaysia's first prime minister shared intimate moments from her life.
The late Tunku Khadijah loved animals. You could see it from the way she happily caressed Wacintha’s neck—fondly called Wally by the family—as he took her gentle ministrations in a calm demeanour. The beloved steed belonged to her granddaughter Natasha, who had ridden Wally at showjumping competitions. Tunku Khadijah’s daughter Datin Sri Sharifah Menyalara (Lara) Hussein, who took up horse riding at a young age, introduced her own daughters Natasha and Natalya to the sport and they eventually became seasoned equestrians themselves, having won gold and bronze medals at the Sukma and SEA Games.
This shared love for horses was hardly surprising, as it was one that was passed down from Tunku Khadijah’s father, Tunku Abdul Rahman, our nation’s founding father. Lara said that her grandfather was very passionate about horses and used to breed them in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. “He’d put them in air-conditioned stables,” she said.
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It was not the only thing that was passed down. Tunku Abdul Rahman was known for treating everyone fairly and equally no matter their station in life, and Tunku Khadijah and her progeny were very much the same. Ask anyone who knew the lady fairly well, and they would tell you that Tunku Khadijah was a people person; she had a way of making anyone feel at ease in her presence and accepted people as they were. She certainly was her father’s daughter as she shared his values like integrity and the importance of family, and they both possessed the same generosity of spirit and kind heart.
She also shared the same sense of humour, the streak of independence, and a love for driving fast. As she approached her 90th birthday, she shared recollection about her life as she walked down memory lane with us.